MENLO PARK, Calif., Jan. 25 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they've created the shortest, purest X-ray laser pulses ever achieved, opening the door to a new range of scientific discovery.
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in California aimed SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source laser at a capsule of neon gas, setting off an avalanche of X-ray emissions to create the world's first "atomic X-ray laser," a release from the Menlo Park facility said Wednesday.
"X-rays give us a penetrating view into the world of atoms and molecules," physicist and research leader Nina Rohringer said.
"We envision researchers using this new type of laser for all sorts of interesting things, such as teasing out the details of chemical reactions or watching biological molecules at work. The shorter the pulses, the faster the changes we can capture. And the purer the light, the sharper the details we can see."
The atomic laser's pulses are only one-eighth as long and their color is much more pure, allowing them to illuminate and distinguish details of ultra-fast reactions that had been impossible to see before.
"This achievement opens the door for a new realm of X-ray capabilities," John Bozek, LCLS instrument scientist said. "Scientists will surely want new facilities to take advantage of this new type of laser."
